Read the Big Ideas and Key Understandings and the Synopsis. Please do not read this to the students. This is a description for teachers, about the big ideas and key understanding that students should take away after completing this task.

Big Ideas and Key Understandings

It is not very smart to be greedy. A greedy person may end up with nothing.

Synopsis

This is a folktale about three goats that had eaten all the sweet green grass in their field and wanted to go across the bridge to the grass on the other side. The problem was the bridge was controlled by a troll. By using a strategy that appealed to the troll’s greediness, the goats tricked the troll into waiting until the largest goat, who was stronger than the other two goats, crossed the bridge. The goats were finally able to get across the bridge to eat the sweet green grass on the other side.

Re-read the main selection text while noting the stopping points for the Text Dependent Questions and teaching Vocabulary.

During Teaching

Teacher reads the main selection text aloud.

2. Teacher re-reads the selection aloud while stopping to engage students in responding to and discussing the questions and returning to the text. A variety of methods can be used to structure the reading and discussion (i.e.: whole class discussion, think-pair-share, group work, etc.)

Instructional Focus

Recalling and inferring details from text read aloud

Text Dependent Questions

Text Dependent Questions

Answers

Who were the characters in this story?

The characters are the Three Billy Goats Gruff and the Troll.

What were the problems that the Three Billy Goats Gruff had at the beginning of the story? (page 78)

The Three Billy Goats Gruff had eaten all the grass in the valley and they were hungry. They knew there was sweet green grass across the river, but a troll lived under the bridge.

A troll is a make believe character in folktales that acts or looks scary. At the beginning of the story, who does the troll first scare? (page 78)

The troll scared the youngest Billy Goat Gruff at the beginning of the story.

Listen to me read this passage, “Once upon a time…What to do?” Look at this picture on page 79 and tell me how did the Billy Goats Gruff plan to outsmart the Troll? What are the 3 goats doing? (page 79)

In the picture you can see the two smaller goats and the big Billy Goat Gruffs cleverly planning to outsmart the Troll. The Troll was no match for the big Billy Goat Gruff.

In this picture the biggest Billy Goat Gruff is pointing beyond to where the sweet green grass is located. Where do you think the sweet green grass is located? (page 79)

The biggest Billy Goat Gruff is pointing beyond the river which is across the bridge.

Why did the bridge creak and groan when the big Billy Goat Gruff crossed? (page 80)

The bridge creaked and groaned because the big Billy Goat Gruff was so heavy.

After the passage, “Now I’m coming to gobble you up!...into the river.” Was the big Billy Goat Gruff afraid? How did the big Billy Goat Gruff feel when he was confronted by the troll? (page 81)

In the picture you can see the Three Billy Goats Gruff eating the sweet green grass. By looking at the picture you can see their plan did work because they are there eating. The troll failed because he was greedy.

Vocabulary

KEY WORDS ESSENTIAL TO UNDERSTANDING

BIG IDEAS OF TEXT

Words addressed with a question or task

WORDS WORTH KNOWING

Words to be part of systematic vocabulary instruction, not essential for understanding the big ideas of the text

Students will discuss the word “greed” and its meanings in the story and use a combination of drawings to illustrate how the troll was greedy.

Example:

The title of the story is “The Three Billy Goats Gruff”.

Draw a picture of how you think the troll was greedy in the story. (The students should draw the troll allowing the smaller goats to cross the bridge and waiting to capture the biggest goat.)
Additional Tasks

Read, Think, Discuss

Students will listen to a different version of “The Three Billy Goats Gruff”. Students will use a double bubble map to compare/contrast this story to the original story that was read previously.

Read the story “The Three Cabritos . On the Smartboard show the students a double bubble map that has been labeled with a picture from each story. First, the teacher will ask the students to tell her what they remember is the same in both stories. The teacher will write the student responses. Next, the teacher will ask the students to tell her what they remember that is different in both stories. The teacher will write the student responses.

Note to Teacher

1. The teacher could look for other stories with examples of greed to help the students understand the meaning of greed.

2. The teacher should lead a discussion on how the students in the class may have experienced greed. (Example: A student has a full box of crayons and will not allow someone to use a color)